Seven and Last
by lollipop-lalala
Summary: Seven and a last 'I love you's. KuroFai. [Brief mention of the real Fai.]


_Warning_: Mention of the Fai _Fai_. The _real_ one.

--

He woke up to see the mage's face, and the feel of fingers on his hair. They were gentle, running through his short black hair almost tenderly, like a smooth, soothing massage. It was calming on many levels.

Then the blonde leaned down and kissed his forehead, to which he grumbled.

Then Fai got up and skipped to their temporary house and left Kurogane sprawled on the grass, blinking up to the grey clouds.

Minutes later, it rained, and Kurogane walked slowly back into the house.

--

"I love you, Kuro-rin," the mage giggled and blew a kiss with one hand.

The ninja ignored him and continued fixing the door, which was blasted by a sudden attacker the day before. This pattern had started when they first landed and found a refuge, and had not stopped. It was a bit strange.

"Kuro-tan is so serious when he works," Fai commented, not making any move to help at all. He plucked out a leaf from one of the flowers in the vase, and tore it into shreds, little by little.

Kurogane didn't glance at him even once, and Fai laughed humourlessly from behind, watching.

--

"Wai! There are so many flavours!" Fai exclaimed delightfully, thrilled. His fingers were knitted together, squeezing, and he imagined himself bursting the strawberry resting on the counter, red and displayed to attract buyers.

"Just pick one and hurry with it." Kurogane growled, growing impatient by each passing second. Fai had whined and pouted and sulked so much and noisily about wanting an ice cream that the ninja agreed to it just to shut him up.

"But, Kuro-kuro, there are so many to choose from," the blonde complained, "it's hard to pick just one flavour. Look, there's the marmalade one—I've never heard of it before!—and the cilantro-lime, blueberry lavender, strawberry buttermilk-"

Kurogane bought him four ice creams in the end.

--

"I love you, Kuro-tan," Fai mouthed.

Kurogane didn't respond. He stared outside the window determinedly, chin resting on his palm. He heard Fai hum a little tune for a few short seconds. Two and a half seconds, he estimated in his head.

Fai left him alone and came back holding a cup of cold tea. He didn't offer it to Kurogane and sipped, then choked.

It was too bitter, the ninja guessed. He didn't wonder if he was right.

--

The magician was painting his fingernails with crayons on the marble tiles when he got home. Most of them were white and blue, but Fai was holding a red crayon in his hand.

"You're back, Kuro-pii!" He said enthusiastically, not bothering to stand up. Kurogane crossed the room and placed his sword on the coffee table.

"Red is a nice colour, don't you think?" the mage rambled on, hand busying themselves again, "I've always thought red wine tasted better than white, and red eyes are nicer than blue."

Kurogane stayed in the room for awhile and listened to Fai's incoherent babbling, then went for a shower.

When he got out he saw Fai still sprawled on the floor, asleep. His fingers were dirty, and his nails were all red, like fresh blood. Kurogane washed them off without waking Fai, and then placed him on the bed. He slept beside him after awhile, and didn't smell blood.

--

"I love you, Kuro-tan."

The ninja growled and did not stop stabbing his potatoes. The mage stared at him for awhile, head on the backs of his hands.

"No, not really, no," he giggled and stood up, his chair making a loud scraping noise as he did so, and went into his room and locked it.

He didn't come out of his room for the whole day afterwards.

--

He was retching over the sink, vomit splattering on the ceramic. Kurogane could hear him even though the door was closed tightly.

His own stomach churned, but he wasn't sure why. He put aside his thoughts and resumed polishing his sword and didn't turn when he heard the door being opened.

He didn't turn when Fai's footsteps came closer and stopped behind him. He still didn't when Fai's fingers reached his shoulders and squeezed, oce, twice, very lightly, like the touch of a butterfly.

But he did when Fai leaned down and Kurogane caught him into a gentle kiss.

Fai didn't taste like vomit, didn't taste like blood, didn't taste like chocolate cake or sugary candy—he tasted like nothing.

--

"I love you, Kuro-puu," Fai laughed as Kurogane popped a vein and swung at him. He dodged, still laughing.

The ninja stopped, gave a grumbling sound and went into his room, closing the door behind him.

Fai stuck his tongue out and licked his peppermint, then said, loudly, "No, I don't. No I don't, really."

He laughed again almost cheerfully, then dropped his candy and tried to crush it with his foot. It didn't break, but it did when he glared and mumbled a mantra.

He left the bits on the floor and went to sleep, and in the morning he work up and found his pillow wet.

--

The mage was dumb, dumb, dumb, he thought.

He was stupidly dumb. Yes, so very, very dumb.

Stupid idiot, dumb mage.

He leaned down and pressed his lips on Fai's right cheek, squeezing his limp hand.

Kurogane sank back down on his chair, closed his eyes and counted to ten, then blinked his eyes open.

The mage hadn't woken up.

--

"I love you, Kuro-rin," the blonde whispered and his voice was hoarse. His eyelashes were lowered, red-rimmed eyes staring at a magnolia flower in his hand, fingers plucking the petals.

The ninja turned to stare into the mage's eyes, "I thought you didn't?"

"I didn't," he said, brows furrowed together as if in serious concentration, "and I still don't. I guess."

"Hmm." Kurogane's eyes followed a single falling brown leaf that landed on the sand pit in which children were playing.

Fai continued plucking, murmuring breaths of 'I love you's and 'I love you not's until the petals have been all pulled out and blown away by the breeze.

Kurogane saw them being stepped on the children and kept quiet and didn't say anything.

--

"Silly Kuro-puu," Fai muttered inaudibly.

"Stupid Kurogane," he repeated. The ninja stayed still.

"Didn't you hear me/" He raised his voice, "I called you 'stupid', Kurogane." He lowered his head to glare at the ninja, his face between his pale hands.

He withdrew slowly, then stared at his own fingers, remembering red crayons. Then he looked at the ninja's and inspected them, and couldn't recall any red.

His fingers squeezed each of Kurogane's, gently, gently.

Kurogane stirred.

--

"I love you, Kurogane," Fai sighed, breath mingling with the ninja's. The latter gave something that sounded very much like a snort of disbelief.

"Really!" Fai said, voice louder this time. "I didn't, and I still don't, but I do!"

"…Stupid idiot." Kurogane grabbed Fai and kissed him, and then their hands are tangled and they fell asleep together that way.

--

"White," Fai closed his eyes, "is an angel's colour."

Kurogane grunted. The magician took it as a sign of agreement.

"Black is a devil's colour."

Another grunt.

Fai chuckled. "Blue is the sky's and the sea's colour."

Grunt.

"Red is blood's colour."

Grunt.

"I like blue and white," Fai muttered in, scribbling on his paper and pausing occasionally to chew on the top of his pencil. "But I think black suits me best."

There was no grunt this time, but Fai nodded in satisfaction anyway.

"Yes, it'd make sense after all!"

He wore black more often after that.

--

"I love you," Fai stretched his back and kissed the side of Kurogane's jaw. "I love, love, love you."

Kurogane glared sideways at a broken vase and said gruffly. "But you don't."

"No-yes I do!" Fai circled his arms around his neck and rested his head under it, nuzzling gently. "I love you very, very much."

The ninja mumbled something inaudible. Fai imagined he was saying 'Me too'.

The blonde nuzzled, again, but this time Kurogane looked away and tightened his arms around Fai.

--

"It's weird, you know," Fai said, humming tunelessly, fingers tapping against the back of Kurogane's hand on his neck.

Kurogane didn't bother asking. Fai continued anyway.

"Being in love," he paused, then added, "with you."

"It's a bit strange," he admitted, "not the same like loving Sakura, or Syaoran, or Ashura-ou. And Fai."

Kurogane stayed still. He didn't understand completely, but Fai pressed on, "It's still love, I think. Yes. I'm sure now." The magician wound his arms around the ninja's waist and smiled into his cloak. "I love you the best, Kurogane!"

The man didn't say anything. His fingers were red, red, crimson like summer cherries, and his eyelids curtained his red eyes.

Fai didn't continue humming or tapping his fingers, and closed his eyes and slept with Kurogane.

--

**fin.**

So. Did you guess that Kurogane's dead? Bravo if you did. He wasn't meant to die, I just wrote and it appeared.

Reviews would be nice and greatly appreciated.

Edit: Explaining queries— to…

the.empty.heart: Uh. Actually…the warning above is a spoiler. That's why you didn't understand. You should um, check for manga updates in whichever websites and see the newer chapters. Then you'll have a better understanding! x))

Silvered Green: Fai's talking to the dead body. That's why there's Kurogane's hand!

And to others who reviewed—thank you very much!!!!


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